How Joyce Emada Parker Orshoski Got Her Middle Name

 

When my mother was born in 1931, her parents, Steen Parker and Doris Wheeler Parker named her Joyce Emada Parker. "Emada" was a combination of the first names of  Doris’s stepmother Emma Larkins, and Steen’s mother Ada ParkerThrough the years, Mom really did not her middle name. When some of our Orshoski cousins lived next door, they called her “Aunt Joyce Tomato.” This made my mom like her middle name even less!

As time goes by, I appreciate Mom’s middle name more and more! Emma Larkins helped to raise my grandma Doris, and Grandma Ada was there for everyone, with her cooking and baking, and wisdom.

While I do not have a picture of Grandma Emma Larkins, I do have a picture of Grandma Ada with me as an infant, along with our pet dog Rusty. If you have questions about the names of your ancestors, be sure to ask your parents and grandparents questions about those names!